by TasiaChiba » Tue Dec 03, 2013 6:51 am
Styrofoam cores are good if you are working with paperclay. Then you can scrape it out or dissolve it. With Sculpey, though, it's really not a good idea since it has to be baked. (On a side note, you can also boil your clay to cook it~ ^_^) I've been using tin foil for years to bulk up and whatnot. Just try not to let the center-most part get too tight (you can put a thin layer of clay down and bake it before really getting to work so the center doesn't get more compressed) so that it will pull out easier. For tiny dolls it can definitely be a pain, lol! >_<; I probably would stay away from the saranwrap, though. It's plastic and I would think it would bond with the polymer clay. Just try to add a straighter piece of tinfoil on top of your bulk before you add the clay to help smooth it out a bit. ^_^
I always start with the torso when I do a sculpt. For BJDs I've added pre-cut joint lines to get it ready to take apart after baking, cutting it apart does make it easier getting that foil out~ (It's also a good idea to cut your sculpt apart while still warm. The clay is softer then and makes the work quite easy, just be careful not to burn yourself! In the same respect, if it's cold, you can re-heat it at any time and it will become pliable again.) Some tinfoil pieces may stay stuck in the clay, but don't worry too much about them. You can either sand/dremel them out or smooth them over with some clay on the insides if necessary.
And it's perfectly fine to add some clay, bake, and add more~ Unless you're going for a single piece of clay that needs to stay flesh tone permanently without repainting... Then, I might suggest boiling, though it too has it's draw-backs~
You should totally add photos of your progress! Which reminds me that I should do that too, lol! ^_^;